NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: Chapter 9
Rowan sat cross-legged on the floor of the art studio, his head buried in his hands. The past week had been chaotic enough, but now this mysterious system was adding to his frustrations. With a groan, he muttered, "Alright, system, let's talk. How does this thing even work?"
The words were barely out of his mouth when a translucent panel appeared before him, floating mid-air. It was filled with glowing symbols and cryptic text, but a single message caught his eye:
"Welcome back, Rowan. What do you need?"
Rowan squinted at the panel, skeptical. "Can you at least explain why I have to raise Rafayel's affinity? What happens if I reach 100%? Do I get to go home?"
For a moment, the screen flickered as though contemplating its response. Then, in cold, unfeeling text, it replied:
"No."
Rowan's jaw dropped. "No? Just no? Then what's the point of this?"
The system offered no response. The panel dimmed slightly, as if deliberately ignoring him.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Rowan growled, his frustration bubbling over. "Why do I even need to do this if I'm stuck here anyway?" He punched the air where the panel hovered, his fist passing harmlessly through the translucent screen. To his annoyance, it flickered back to full brightness.
From behind him, a sharp voice cut through the room. "Rowan, are you… punching the air?"
Rowan froze, slowly turning to see Rafayel standing at the doorway, one brow arched in suspicion. "You… you're not losing your mind, are you?"
"No! I was…" Rowan hesitated, grasping for an excuse. "I was practicing… shadowboxing. Helps with focus."
Rafayel's eyes narrowed further. "Right. Because nothing screams 'focus' like flailing at invisible enemies."
Before Rowan could defend himself, the system chimed in again. A new message appeared on the floating screen:
"New Mission: Raise Rafayel's affinity to 10% within 24 hours. Failure will result in punishment."
Rowan's heart sank as a countdown timer appeared in the corner of the panel. 24:00:00. And then, to his horror, it began ticking down.
"You've got to be kidding me," Rowan muttered under his breath. The timer read 23:59:55. "I don't even know how to raise his affinity!"
Rafayel, still watching him closely, crossed his arms. "What are you muttering about now?"
Rowan turned to him, forcing a grin that was far too wide. "Rafayel! Let's go to the arcade."
Rafayel blinked. "The arcade? Why?"
"Why not?" Rowan said, grabbing his coat and practically dragging Rafayel toward the door. "Come on, it'll be fun. You need to… unwind. Trust me."
---
The arcade was a cacophony of flashing lights and cheerful music. Rafayel looked around, clearly unimpressed. "This is where you wanted to come?"
"Yep," Rowan said, guiding him toward a claw machine. "Let's start with this. Ever win one of these before?"
Rafayel sniffed. "Of course not. These things are rigged."
"Not if you're skilled." Rowan inserted a coin and expertly maneuvered the claw, snagging a stuffed dolphin on his first try. He handed it to Rafayel with a triumphant grin. "See? Easy."
Rafayel stared at the dolphin, his expression unreadable. "You think this cheap toy is supposed to impress me?"
Rowan's grin faltered. He glanced at the system's panel, hoping to see some progress. The affinity level remained stubbornly at 2%.
"Fine," Rowan muttered, leading Rafayel to a racing game. "Let's do something more exciting."
They spent the next hour playing various games: shooting hoops, battling zombies, and even dancing on an arcade DDR machine. Rowan kept glancing at the system's screen, but the affinity level refused to budge.
Finally, he suggested they grab something sweet. At the ice cream stand, Rowan insisted on paying and handed Rafayel a cone with a gentlemanly flourish. "Here. Consider it a treat."
Rafayel took the cone with a skeptical look. "You're acting strange."
"Am not," Rowan said, though his irritation was beginning to show.
After they finished their ice cream, Rowan checked the system again. Still no change. He let out an exasperated sigh, which didn't go unnoticed by Rafayel.
"Alright, what's going on with you?" Rafayel demanded. "You've been acting weird all day."
"Nothing's going on," Rowan snapped, his frustration boiling over. "Can you please stop asking?"
Rafayel's eyes widened in offense. "Of course i keep asking cause you've been dragging me around like a lunatic! If you didn't want to hang out, you could've just said so."
Before Rowan could respond, Rafayel turned on his heel and stormed off. "Unbelievable," he muttered as he disappeared into the crowd.
Rowan groaned, running a hand through his hair. He checked the system again, only to see the affinity level drop to 0.5%.
"Oh, come on!" Rowan yelled, throwing his hands up in frustration. The countdown continued to tick away, merciless and unforgiving. He was running out of time and ideas.
Rowan chased after Rafayel, his frustration evident in the hurried steps and the occasional muttered curses escaping his lips. "Wait up!" he called, only to be met with Rafayel's stubborn back as the other kept walking.
Finally, Rafayel stopped abruptly and turned to face him, rolling his eyes dramatically. "What is your problem?" he demanded, arms crossed. "You've been acting weird all day."
Rowan hesitated, then exhaled sharply. "Fine! You want to know? I miss home. I miss my desk, my messy piles of notes, my... my stupid deadlines! I just want to go back to being an author in my world!"
Rafayel blinked then he scoff. "Your world? You really are crazy. Where exactly is this magical author-land of yours?"
"I told you, I'm not from here!" Rowan snapped, his voice laced with both frustration and a tinge of desperation.
"Whatever," Rafayel replied, rolling his eyes yet again but with less annoyance this time. He reached out and grabbed Rowan by the wrist. "Come on, let's go back to the mall."
"What?" Rowan blinked, startled by the unexpected gesture.
"Let's eat. Let's play some more games. I don't want to see your ugly, sad face anymore it's disgusting." Rafayel tugged him forward, and Rowan, despite himself, let out a laugh at the blunt remark.
"Gee, thanks," Rowan mumbled, though he found his lips twitching into a small smile.
As they walked back toward the mall, Rowan's mind buzzed with the system's looming countdown and Rafayel's cryptic mix of insults and care. He didn't know whether to feel hopeful or more panicked, but one thing was certain: he wasn't giving up.